GUWAHATI: Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has expressed shock over the Manipur viral video showing two tribal women being paraded naked and groped in public by a mob.
Stating that the situation in Manipur seemed to have worsened, he said the “brutal violence” in Manipur not only affected the neighbouring states but also the entire country.
“I was really shocked and shaken to see the video that went viral. The shocking video of the sexual assault of our two Vaiphei women in Manipur is brutal, merciless, heinous, despicable and completely inhuman! The whole region needs a permanent solution for the great problem Manipur is having which can really be solved only by the Central Govt,” Zoramthanga tweeted.
“Many lives have been lost, bloodshed all over, physical torture & the victims are looking for refuge wherever possible. With no iota of doubt, those victims are my kin and kin, my own blood and should we quieten the situation by just being silent? I don't think so!” he said.
Stating that silence is not an option, the Mizoram CM called for immediate restoration of peace and normalcy.
“It is incumbent and imperative upon the Manipur Govt. and the Central Govt. to look for immediate ways for peace restoration. Therefore, I urge Manipur Chief Minister @NBirenSingh and Hon'ble PM of India Shri @narendramodi Ji to take immediate action and to bring PERPETRATORS to JUSTICE!” he further wrote on the microblogging site.
An estimated 12,000 tribals, displaced by the violence in Manipur, are taking shelter in Mizoram.
Meanwhile, the Working Group for Naga Rights in Manipur said it was “appalled by the unspeakable evil of the unhinged Meitei mob in which two helpless Vaiphei women of the Kuki-Zo ethnicity were unclothed, paraded, groped, and ultimately gang-raped on 4th May 2023.”
“The beastly crime committed against the innocent residents of B Phainom village in Kangpokpi district has taken more than two months to surface to public knowledge, but the visceral hatred of the mob that reeks in its perpetration is as new, immediate, and stomach-turning as the tragic murder of the Maring Naga lady a few days ago,” the organisation said in a statement.
It further said, “The unimaginable act has shattered our souls, and has left us wondering about the moral moorings of a community that permits such unthinkable act to be perpetrated in broad daylight.”
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also condemned the Manipur incident.
“Extremely disturbed by the recent incident in Manipur. Stripping any human of their dignity is the most demeaning and inhumane act. I strongly condemn such actions. Guilty should be given the harshest punishment," Sangma tweeted.